Auto/Motorcycle

We are assuming that by West Rim, you mean the Havasupai Reservation?  The only way between the two points are to drive.  There are tour buses that go between, but no helicopters or other flight options.  For more info on directions between the two click here.

The drive between Yellowstone and Glacier is between 10 and 12 hours. Directions are available here.

We'd recommend making the trip in two days, since there's lots to see along the way in cities like Bozeman, Butte and Missoula!

I did this drive in the summer of 2008. I drove from Glacier to Yellowstone. I was quite surprised at the distance, and the time it took to cover all those miles (about 400 total).

I left Glacier in the afternoon, after having explored the area at the top of Logan Pass during the day. I was able to make it to Missoula that evening and stayed at a hotel. I liked Missoula because it is right on I-90, which is a main interstate.

The next day I drove along I-90 to a point just west of Bozeman, and then drove south on 191 to West Yellowstone. I arrived in the afternoon, in time to grab some dinner, and set up a campsite just outside of town along the Madison River.

I guess it is possible to drive that whole distance in one day, but for your sanity I'd suggest breaking that trip into two days. 

The 'smoke' is all from rain evaporating from the trees.  Some parts of the smokies get a yearly rainfall of up to 85 inches, which qualifies as a temperate rainforest.  If you would like to know more about the Smokies climate, go to the NPS natural features and ecosystems page for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It's always a great time to go tour the national parks on motorcycle, the important questions to address are which parks and what is your starting point. On my first trip from New York City to Yosemite and back, I left in June and was greeted by rainstorms and a wide swing of temperature extremes. On the day I planned to ride into Yellowstone, I had to stop because there was snow on the pass and the road was closed.  I searched almost a dozen stores before finding one that could sell me an extra layer to wear under my protective shell, as they all said it was summer and they no longer sold fleece or other jackets. (I ended up with a compressible, lightweight down jacket, which I had multiple occasions to break out.) As you well know, it gets cold awfully quickly when you consider the wind chill factor, one of the realities of cold weather riding. If you start in a warm climate and take a southern route, you should be just fine. No matter when you ride, be aware of the need to carry extra layers, as it's always best to be prepared. I've made snowballs in the afternoon on the top of a mountain pass after having ridden through the hot desert all morning long, in July! I recommend a good pair of water-proof gloves (or covers) for any extended trip, along with weather-proof, padded riding gear.  If you let everyone in the OhRanger.com community know what parks you're considering and where you'll be starting, perhaps we can make some specific recommendations for places to see. For example, if you were consider to focus on Utah, you could create a great tour by riding the "Grand Circle." The desert parks of Southern California and Nevada are also fantastic in May. 

I look forward to hearing about your adventures and hope that OhRanger.com will help you with your plans. Check out our new feature that allows you to find the activities you like near to any place you choose in America. Safe travels!

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wolf packs live within territories, which they defend from other wolves. While there have been reports of wolf packs killing other wolves that enter into their territory, we have not heard of any wolf packs in national parks being wiped out by other wolves.

You can read more about Yellowstone's wolf population here.